Zucchini Bread Oatmeal

June 13, 2018Angela (Oh She Glows)

by Angela (Oh She Glows) on June 13, 2018

Would you believe me if I told you that, before today’s post, I had two other recipes written, photographed, and ready to share…only to scrap them at the last minute?! I think I was cursed these past couple weeks because I just couldn’t develop a recipe that I could 100% get behind. I have to say it nearly killed me to finish all the work on those new posts only for them to be put on the shelf, never to see the light of day. I hope you know that I only share recipes I’m crazy about (and that my testers are also crazy for) because I want to be absolutely sure you can trust and love them too!

So, with my tail tucked between my legs, I moved on from those two recipes…and I’m glad I did! I’m in love with this Zucchini Bread Oatmeal. Some of you may recognize the original recipe from way back in 2011 (how was that 7 years ago!?). Although this oatmeal fell off my radar for a while, it’s made a serious comeback in our morning rotation. This breakfast is a delicious, creative way to fulfill your weekly zucchini quota all summer long! I know it’s a bit early for summer squash season, but I’ve personally been on a huge zucchini kick this month. The recipe will be a good one to tuck away for later in the summer when you have zucchini overload—but I don’t think you’ll be able to wait that long.

I decided to revamp my old recipe and give the post a facelift complete with some snazzy new photos for you. This bowl is one of my favourite ways to sneak veggies into my oatmeal…if you’re crazy like me, you may even find yourself doubling the amount of zucchini for extra morning veggie goodness (just be sure to reduce the liquid accordingly). Sometimes I’ll even use instant oats (gasp! lol) and those work great as well. Leftovers can be enjoyed straight from the fridge, which will be a nice option on those steamy summer mornings too.

Before I get to the recipe, I want to thank you so much for taking the time to complete the Oh She Glows Reader Survey! We went through every single response with a fine-tooth comb. One of our big takeaways is that you want even MORE RECIPES!!! *Wipes bead of sweat from forehead*, lol. So in the future you’ll be seeing a bit of a shift in blog content—Ask Angela and Things I’m Loving Lately posts will be less frequent so that I can focus more time on recipe creation. I’m going to try my best to zero in on the content that really matters to you.

We also sent out a brand new issue of In The Glow a couple weeks ago (complete with a fun new look too). I had a lot of positive feedback about the “Hello from Angela” message in this issue, so I just wanted to thank those of you who sent me DMs about it. I was also asked by a few readers who didn’t get a chance to sign up in time whether issue 21 would be available online. I’m happy to say that it’s available here! We send out a new In The Glow every 4 to 6 weeks, and if you’d like to receive future issues, you can sign up here.

Last but not least, I have to share this with you here because it kind of blew my mind and made my entire week! Does anyone recognize a certain app icon below?

The Oh She Glows Recipe App icon was featured in Apple CEO Tim Cook’s recent presentation at Apple’s Worldwide Developers Conference. You guys, I almost died when Eric plopped this paper in front of me at my desk. His uncle texted him saying we might want to pick up a copy of that day’s Globe and Mail newspaper. (Thanks Uncle Steve for your newspaper sleuthing!) It’s so wild and wouldn’t be possible without your incredible support!

4.9 from 9 reviews

Zucchini Bread Oatmeal

Vegan, gluten-free, nut-free, oil-free, refined sugar-free, soy-free

By Angela Liddon

Zucchini bread in oatmeal form...who knew?! This tasty dish comes together in less than 15 minutes—perfect for when you’re craving the warm spiciness of zucchini bread but don’t have time to make a whole loaf. Luxurious canned coconut milk lends this oatmeal a satisfying, decadent creaminess, while the grated zucchini adds a dose of Vitamin C, B Vitamins, and Potassium. Chia seeds help thicken the oatmeal and provide a nice boost of healthy fats! I don’t recommend skipping the suggested toppings below—they give this bowl a nutty, sweet chewiness and that signature zucchini bread flavour. And you may be happy to know that this oatmeal is super versatile (often I don’t even measure when I make it at home!)—you can use rolled or instant oats, grated or finely grated zucchini, and play around with the zucchini-to-oat ratio however you’d like. I encourage you to find your perfect bowl! This recipe is inspired by my 2011 version.

Topping suggestions:

Chopped pecans

Raisins or chopped pitted dates

Pat of coconut oil or vegan butter

Pure maple syrup or coconut sugar

Cinnamon

Shaved dark chocolate

Directions:

Add all of the oatmeal ingredients except for the vanilla to a medium pot and stir to combine. Bring mixture to a simmer over medium-high heat. Reduce heat to medium. Cook uncovered for 7 to 9 minutes, stirring frequently, until thickened.

Remove from heat and stir in the vanilla. Adjust spices and sweetener to taste, if desired.

Divide the oatmeal into bowls and top with your desired toppings. Leftovers will keep in an airtight container in the fridge for 3 to 5 days. To reheat, add the leftovers to a small pot along with a splash of coconut milk. Stir and heat over medium until heated through. Alternatively, you can enjoy leftovers cold too!

Tips:

* You can use instant oats instead of rolled oats, if you prefer. Instant oats have a much less chewy texture and tend to disappear into the mixture, but they work well for babies and toddlers who aren’t able to chew the larger oats.

** If you use the finest grate hole on the box grater, the zucchini will virtually disappear into the oatmeal, whereas a standard-size grate hole will yield visible strands of zucchini throughout (and amp up the bowl’s chewy texture). You can play around with these two options to see which way you prefer the oatmeal. Once you get used to it, feel free to add even more zucchini to future pots!

I really don’t like testing recipes, leaving that work to you experts! I grow tons of zucchini and can’t wait to try this. I would never have considered putting oatmeal and zucchini together, just not on my radar!

This looks amazing! I’d love to make this and keep it for the week ahead, but I don’t like the taste of leftover banana in the fridge. Do you have any suggestions as to what I could replace it with? Thank you!

Hi Katie, I’d suggest using the maple syrup option if possible as it’ll keep in the fridge a bit better. If that’s not possible you could leave both out and serve it with your desired sweetener (or even sliced banana or pitted dates) on top when serving.

Oooh looks great! I’ve planted zucchini in my garden for the first time this year, and will definitely be pulling this recipe out when I’m looking for ways to use it up! Fingers crossed we get a great harvest!

Hey Amanda, It won’t be nearly as creamy, but you can definitely try swapping it with almond milk and see what you think (you may need to reduce the amount of liquid a touch). I used thick & creamy light coconut milk to balance out the zucchini which is inherently watery. :)

Hey Angela – Check your survey link in this post. It looks like you gave readers the option to edit the survey rather than take it. Oops! When I clicked I was able to see the results and everything (so I think I was getting what should have been your private view). Hope you can get that resolved quickly. Good luck!

Absolute perfect! I saw this on my newsfeed this morning and next thing I knew I was eating them! Nutrient packed serious goodness! We already love your carrot cake oatmeal and your carrot cake baked oats and the zucchini twist adds variety to our veggie intake. I actually had to sub half carrot as I didn’t have enough zucchini and it worked just fine, thanks for another great recipe!

Hey Carmella, So glad you made this already and enjoyed it! I can’t get enough. I’ve been doubling my zucchini amount (for more volume!) and using the regular-sized grate hold for a bit more chew. I love how versatile it is.

I have to say – I SO appreciate how much time you put into your recipe testing and how picky you are with posting recipes, because literally EVERY recipe of yours that I have made (and I have made many) I have loved. I follow several plant-based blogs and while some of them may post more frequent recipes, none of them post such consistently amazing, high quality recipes. Keep up the amazing work because it is so appreciated <3

Megan what a lovely thing to say. Thank you! It means the world to me that you trust and love the recipes so much. I will never sacrifice quality for quantity and I’ve had to make peace since having kids that I can’t do it all. ;)

Hi Lucy, Thanks for the recipe love :) You’ll want to find an oatmeal brand that labels their oats as gluten-free. From what I understand, there’s potential for cross-contamination with wheat in many facilities, so to be sure, use a brand that has a certified GF facility and indicates such on the label. “Only Oats” brand is Canadian and “Bobs Red Mill” is American (but widely available). I hope this helps!

Oh Angela, your posts are such a voice of comfort and I seriously look forward to every single one (aka please don’t ever delete the oldies because I still read through them lol). I’ve always found you do such a good job of offering both amazing, trustworthy recipes and also sharing more personal stuff that we can ALL appreciate and relate too. Finding that balance isn’t easy! ALSO, Congrats on Globe and Mail feature! I couldn’t help but laugh when I pictured your reaction when Eric plopped the newspaper down – too funny. I look forward to trying the recipe this weekend – I can almost SMELL it through the screen! Xo

Well this totally made my Friday! Seriously, thank you for saying such nice things, means the world to me! And yes my face must’ve been priceless when I realized what was in the picture. ;) Ps- when are we going to see each other around town again?

I really love that about you…that you make sure a recipe is amazing before you publish it. I don’t try many recipes off of the net because I am often disappointed.
But I am never disappointed with your recipes. Keep up the great work!

OMG I can’t wait to make this for breakfast. Now I just need to figure out a way to make it into a baked if possible? I love baking breakfast Oat squares and freezing them. Its so handy and great for busy mornings or even traveling (always an airplane snack for me)!

Zucchini bread and oatmeal are two of my favorites things. I can’t wait to give this a go soon. What a perfect way to start that day! Oh who am I kidding, I’ll end the day with this, too. Breakfast for dinner forever!

Oooooh, I can’t wait to try this! I was intrigued when I kept seeing it on your Insta stories, and since I’m always looking for ways to get more veggies in my life, this seems awesome. Yay for zucchini!

Hi Angela, I made this earlier this week and am enjoying my last serving this morning. I got 3 servings following your recipe. I really, really, really enjoyed this oatmeal. I’m normally an overnight oats girl and enjoyed the cooked oatmeal for a change. I would like to try making this in the crockpot with steel cut oats. Thank you again for posting.

This was delicious!! I used 2 zucchinis, which came out to about 1.5 cups when finely grated. I used toasted pecans, a chopped date, cinnamon, and maple syrup as the toppings per Angela’s suggestion. Yum!! Can’t wait to eat the leftovers!

So this looks amazing!! I’m a huge fan of zucchini pancAkes. I’m also a huge fan of steel cut oats. Is this something you think would work with steel cut oats in a slow cooker? I’m thinking the banana would be a bad idea? Thnks so much :)

Oh Adrienne that’s such a great question! I haven’t made slow cooker oats in a long time. I think mashed banana would be fine. My main concern is whether the zucchini would fully cook without stirring it to mix it in..might be worth stirring it well half way through cooking and checking on it. :) And you may need more liquid but I’m not sure. I’d love to hear how it goes!

I tried this with raw pumpkin and it worked really well and tastes much like pumpkin pie…a little early in the year for a pumpkin crush but I had a huge can to use up.
While unrelated to zucchini oatmeal I wanted to tell you about some smoothie experimentation I have been up to recently: I added cooked black and white beans (3/4 cup) to your Classic Green Monster recipe to increase the protein content and it tasted superb! I thought to myself with your palate and your recipe magic you might come up with some other recipes with beans in smoothies…there is one on albertapulse.com for a Pina Colada White Bean Smoothie for inspiration…beans are so inexpensive and a great source of fibre and protein.
Thank you for all that you do! I have told countless people about your recipe books and plant-based philosophy and am very grateful for your work.
Liz

Thank you so much for your kind words of support and for spreading the OSG love. :)
I’ve heard of people adding beans to smoothies and I’ve never been brave enough to try it! hah. I’m so glad it worked for you in the green monster recipe. Who knew?!
Thanks for your review on the zucchini bread oatmeal too..so glad it was a hit with pumpkin.

Hi Steve, I haven’t tried it yet but I’d love to hear how it goes if you do! Hope you enjoy…such a perfect time of year to use up some zucchini! I love adding double the quantity in mine for an added veggie boost.

Thanks for posting a creative way to use up zucchini. My garden is pumping them out right now and I’m getting pretty sick of grilled squash!
I made this oatmeal for my family this morning and everyone loved it. I traded 1/4 of the oats for buckwheat groats and used soy instead of coconut milk because that’s what I already had open. I topped it with pecans and it was fantastic. The squash was cooked well so it blended nicely into the grains. The only thing I’d adjust is next time I wouldn’t use the maple syrup. I found it was too sweet for my preference but I usually eat my oats without sweetener so it’s probably just me…